Smith: pro-choice agenda ‘a priority’ this year

In his first public speech to advocates since rising to Senate Majority Leader, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith told family planning advocates that he intended to make their agenda a “priority for this year.”

Smith addressed advocates in the Well of the Legislative Office Building, where he received a standing ovation from advocates.

Smith hasn’t forgotten the effort pro-choice advocates put into helping the Senate Democrats win the majority: “I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for our conference,” he said.

He asserted his personal pro-choice viewpoint, and said that th legislature “must pass” the Reproductive Health Act – which would codify into law the Roe v. Wade ruling, and said “it is time” that the legislature pass teh Healthy Teens Act, which pushes for “medically accurate” sex education.

The Healthy Teens Act has passed in the Assembly for four years. With the Senate Democrats in charge now, advocates are encouraged that the two bills might have a shot this year. However, the Senate Democrats will need to appeal to the more socially conservative members of the confererence to garner the requisite votes. Of those who might need some convincing – former “Gang of Three” members Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr. and Sen. Carl Kruger, and Sen. BIll Stachowski, among others.

On the flip side, a few Republican senators in either increasingly Democratic or overwhelmingly Democratic districts were hit hard in November over their stances on family planning issues – particularly Sens. Kemp Hannon (who faced a run for his seat late in the election by Kristen McElroy), Frank Padavan ( who is still in court over his race against Democrat James Gennaro), Joe Robach.